Offtopic/fun » games in the absence of Jonathan

SHANGHAI -- The Asia swing is the rare trip where Patrick Reeds wife doesnt accompany him. She stayed in Houston because theyre finally moving into their new house at The Woodlands.Not that Reed figures to spend that much time in his new digs.American golfers are traveling more than ever, and the 26-year-old Reed is taking that to an extreme. He has played 66 tournaments in the last 24 months (including the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup), and as a long and tiring 2016 starts to wind down, Reed is just getting warmed up.He played in Malaysia last week and is at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai this week. Next week is the Turkish Airlines Open, and then after a week at home, he heads to Dubai for the final event of the European Tour season. After a week back home for Thanksgiving, Reed is off to the Bahamas for the Hero World Challenge and then gets on another plane for the Hong Kong Open.And then 20 days before we head to Hawaii, he said, with a grin.The reason for this hectic schedule?I love to compete. I love to play, Reed said on the practice range at Sheshan International, just three hours after his plane landed from Malaysia. When Im home, Im just sitting there wishing I was out playing. Justine feels the same way. It might not be the best strategic way to get your ranking up, but at the end of the day, if you play well it doesnt matter.Reeds ranking really isnt hurt that much by playing because there is a maximum of 52 tournaments that count toward the equation. He is No. 7 in the world, making progress toward that top 5 player in the world comment that attracted so much attention when he won the World Golf Championship at Doral two years ago.Besides, he says he always wanted to be known as a global player.He is going to Antalya next week, conceding that he didnt know where it was (Turkey) while in college in Georgia. He couldnt find Dubai on the map until he went for the first time last year to finish his first year as a European Tour member.I didnt want to play only in the U.S., Reed said. I feel it helps my game traveling overseas. I always wanted to see the world and get out of my comfort zone.Most top players limit themselves to about 22 tournaments a year, feeling as though they need time off to rest their body and mind. So far, Reed said keeping fresh has been the least of his worries.Im stubborn. My mind is great, he said. If anything, the one thing Ill work on is the body. The body can go in dips, and it breaks down my swing.This was his busiest year yet, partly because of the Olympics. Starting with the U.S. Open, Reed played 14 times in 16 weeks through the Ryder Cup. The only tournament he didnt play was the Canadian Open. The other week was an open week before the Tour Championship.Im tired this year, he conceded. But Im still going to do it. I just have to get down when I have long runs and when I need my breaks. This year was unique because even during a week off, you were preparing for a big event. That made it difficult to shut anything down.---RUSSELL RECOGNITION: Russell Knox won twice in the last year, starting with the HSBC Champions, and he is No. 20 in the world. And yet the 31-year-old Scot can still walk through a shopping mall without getting noticed.As long as he doesnt cut off his hair.I told my wife that sometimes when I shave my head, people think Im Justin Timberlake, Knox said Tuesday. And she was like, `No, never. I dont see it. I dont think so. And that same day at the St. Johns Town Center, this woman runs up to me screaming. She gets five steps away and was, `Oh and walked away.Knox said golf fans around Jacksonville, Florida, recognize him more.Outside my home, barely anyone knows me, he said. And Im fine with that.It wasnt clear if Knox was joking when he added Phil Mickelson to that group. He talked about playing with Mickelson for the first time a few years ago at the Wells Fargo Championship, and later was asked if Mickelson knew he was.I still dont think he knows who I am, Knox said. And Im OK with that. Maybe he does. Weve said, `Hi a few times. But hes Phil Mickelson. I dont care what Ive done. Im not Phil Mickelson.---LEXI AND THE SHARK: Lexi Thompson has been added to the field at the Franklin Templeton Shootout, the first woman to compete since Annika Sorenstam in 2006.Thompson is a seven-time winner on the LPGA Tour, including a major.Jason Dufner and Brandt Snedeker are the defending champions Dec. 8-10 at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida. Among the newcomers to what used to be known as the Shark Shootout are Justin Thomas, Russell Knox, Kevin Kisner, Kevin Chappell, Smylie Kaufman and Bryson DeChambeau.---REMEMBERING ROMACK: Barbara Romack was a fixture at the U.S. Womens Open, and a playful introduction was all anyone needed to know about her golf.She was the player who never lost to the great Mickey Wright.Wright lost to Romack in the California Girls Junior and the California Womens Amateur. Romack rose to prominence in 1954 when she defeated Wright in the U.S. Womens Amateur at Allegheny Country Club in Pennsylvania.She was my pigeon, Romack once jokingly said of Wright, who became widely regarded as golfs greatest female player.They remained close friends over the years, and Wright was saddened to hear from the USGA that Romack died on Oct. 15 at age 83.I sort of looked up to her as a big sister, Wright said in an email to the USGA. She was great fun, always laughing, and what a marvelous amateur golfer she was. Fine swing and a great putter. Cant believe she is gone, but she will forever be in my memories.Romack was at her best as an amateur, and she was the first woman golfer to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1956 when the magazine referred to her as a little tiger in promoting the Curtis Cup. Romack played on three U.S. teams.She also won the 1952 North & South Amateur at Pinehurst, the 1953 Canadian Womens Amateur and the California Womens Amateur four times.---DIVOTS: Rory McIlroy wasnt planning any equipment changes the rest of the year, though he is putting a TaylorMade driver and fairway metals in his bag for the HSBC Champions. ... Graeme Storm made a bogey on the final hole of the Portugal Masters, costing him his full European Tour card. Only the top 110 after last week are exempt. Storm finished at No. 111 by 100 British pounds. ... Phoenix-area golf fans have a unique 3-for-1 offer. Under a program called Go Green Go Often, they can buy a single-day pass for $50 that gets them into PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions events. Those are the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in two weeks, the Waste Management Phoenix Open the first weekend in February and the Bank of Hope Founders Cup in March. ... Doug Hawken is retiring Jan. 31 as president and chief operating officer of Ping. He worked 45 years for the Arizona-based clubmaker.---STAT OF THE WEEK: Hideki Matsuyama is No. 10 in the world ranking, the first Japanese player in the top 10 since Jumbo Ozaki in April 1998.---FINAL WORD: Youre never happy being where you are. Theres always that next level to achieve. -- Russell Knox. Cheap Jordans Nz .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Retro Jordans Nz . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. http://www.airjordannz.com/ . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. Air Jordan Nz Online . Nine days before the opening ceremony, organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that Sochi is "fully ready" and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations. Cheap Air Jordan Nz . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. LOS ANGELES -- The surprising Ottawa Senators continue their California road trip when they visit the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday afternoon.The Senators missed the Eastern Conference playoffs by 11 points last season and hopes were not high as they entered this campaign with one of the most porous defenses in the league. With a renewed focus on defense by coach Guy Boucher and strong goaltending from the duo of Craig Anderson and Mike Condon, they are in the mix in the early-season Atlantic Division race.Ottawa (16-9-2) comes off a 4-2 victory in San Jose on Wednesday despite getting outshot 37-17. The Senators used a big effort from Condon (4-1-1, 1.77 GAA and .943 save percentage) and effective penalty killing to improve their road record to 7-4-0, a significantly better pace than last seasons 17-21-3 mark away from Canadian Tire Centre.We got a great start and although it seemed like we spent the last half of the game in the penalty box, I liked the last 10 minutes of our game, Boucher said. We finally get two days off between games after playing such a long stretch of games every other game. I am excited to see how we do with the additional rest.One Senator will achieve a career milestone when Chris Neil suits up for his 1,000th NHL game, a rare feat given that in the age of free agency, Neil has spent his entire career with the Senators. Given his rugged style, players rarely have the longevity to play 15 seasons and with the game continuing to evolving to more speed and skill, its unlikely that a player of Neils skillset will ever meet this mark again.Good things happen when you work hard in life, Neil said prior to his historic achievement. Ive approached every training camp like I need to earn a spot on the team. I dont take anything for granted.Los Angeles (13-11-2) comes into the contest on the heels on a poor performance in a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. Thhe consensus after a lethargic effort was that the additional time off the team has had over the past few weeks has dulled their recent efforts.ddddddddddddWe had a bad start, Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin said. There should be no excuses, we have to be better prepared mentally to play.The Kings will try to gain a split of the two-game season series, dropping a last-minute 2-1 decision in Ottawa on Nov. 11 as they complete a stretch of eight home games in their last 10 contests. It is their last opportunity to play in front of their home fans until Dec. 31.After a strong start to their home campaign, Los Angeles has lost three straight at home, two in regulation and one via shootout -- so grabbing two points in their final home game ahead of a daunting road schedule is important. The Kings road record is 4-7-1 and with the Western Conference playoff race looking to be more contentious than last season, Los Angeles will need to play close to .500 hockey on the road to be in the mix.Los Angeles may be looking at other options to strengthen its goaltending as Jeff Zatkoff dropped to 1-4-0 in the Carolina loss. The Kings have managed to win games in the absence of Jonathan Quick, who was sidelined with a serious groin injury after just playing one period in the season opener in San Jose.Zatkoff was slated to be the primary goaltender during Quicks absence but he was sidelined with a groin injury that has limited his appearances.While third-string netminder Peter Budaj has given a solid performance and at one point played in 22 consecutive games, the teams .899 save percentage ties with St. Louis for 27th place after being a in the top 10 last season. Speculation is rising that Zatkoff will have to perform well on this road trip in order to maintain his roster spot. ' ' '